Happily Ever After

Day One – New house and family members


Before Nanjiroh and Mai married, they bought a new house as their ‘new nest’, the name that Nanjiroh insisted. Right after their wedding, they told their children to move in first while they enjoy their honeymoon somewhere in Europe.

“At last we’re home. The supermarket is pretty far.” Haruka let out a contented sigh as she dropped her grocery bags on the floor. “Wow, huge.”

“Yeah, real huge. I guess it’ll be huge no matter how many times we look at it” complemented Haruya as she threw herself onto the couch and her hand dived straightaway for the phone beside her. “I’m calling the gals over for the open house party.”

“To say the truth I’d rather have the party another day after we sort out our things,” said Haruka frowning and crossing her arms. “We have so little time to prepare.”

While they were walking back to their new house from the nearby supermarket just now buying their lunch, they met Inui who pushed his glasses with his finger and demanded to know who were the girls with Tezuka and why was Ryoma with them. After a series of explanation, Kikumaru who was with Inui suggested an open house party. They had to turn back to the supermarket to buy the things needed for the party.

“You perfectionist!” cried Harumi dramatically, flapping both of her hands wildly. “Parties spell FUN, it’s not something meant for perfection.”

“I’d like to have a PERFECT party,” protested Haruka.

“I’d like a PERFECTLY FUN party,” giggled Haruya. “It’s twelve and the guys are coming at three. The girls at two-thirty. We should start cooking now.”

Ryoma looked at his new sisters and smiled. According to his observation, Haruka – the eldest, only shared Tezuka’s complexion, she was very gentle and loved to smile, while Haruya was the straightforward and daring type, rather aggressive but kind; and Harumi was the energetic and sometimes clueless little sister. He was rather worried when he knew that he was going to live with them, he was neither talkative nor outgoing, but they tried their best to make him feel at home, to get used to their company. Ryoma was grateful for their simple acts because he knew that they really welcomed him.

However, up till now, Ryoma wasn’t sure whether Tezuka was happy at how the things were now. He hadn’t spoken to him ever since that time from the bistro and during school; they had rarely spoken to each other except for things concerning tennis. It wasn’t considered as a decent conversation between two people who were going to live together.

Ryoma stopped brooding and noticed that his stepsisters were already walking down the corridor; they were giggling about something with Haruya the loudest. He smiled contentedly, ‘not bad having new family members. It had always been me and dad only.’

Tezuka stared at the smile playing on the lips of Ryoma. He had MIXED feelings, he never disliked Ryoma, well; he was RATHER fond of him; just that he’ll never show it or even tell anybody about it. He wasn’t the expressive type, rather like a quiet observer. Like what he was doing now, he was quietly observing Ryoma, his silky hair, golden eyes and the rare smile on his face, instead of his usual arrogant smirk.

Well, back to the mixed feelings part, somehow the idea of being Ryoma’s older brother didn’t please him; it was rather appalling to him, why, he didn’t know. He continued his observation on Ryoma, who had now walked towards the window ledge. He sat down on the ledge and opened the window, letting the cool breeze in and onto his face.

Suddenly; Ryoma gasped and bent over the window ledge; with his knees on the ledge and part of his body outside the window.

“What happened?” asked Tezuka as he rushed towards Ryoma.

“Look down, I saw a woman…” He turned back to look at Tezuka.

“Where?” Tezuka bent down and looked over Ryoma shoulder and down to where Ryoma was pointing and saw nobody. “I don’t see anybody.”

“Well, she was there, outside the gate, wearing a red kimono.” Ryoma straightened and his back hit Tezuka’s chest softly. Ryoma blushed at the sudden intimation; lately, this had occurred to him every time he was near Tezuka.

“I don’t see anyone; maybe it’s just your imagination. It’s in the afternoon; nobody will be wearing a kimono. It’s hot.”

“Maybe.” Ryoma leaned forward to take a better look out the window; and to hide the blush on his cheeks. Over half of his body was now outside the window, he didn’t notice the anxiety on Tezuka’s face. Ryoma’s stunt had scared the wits out of him.

“I’m sure it is.” Tezuka wrapped his arms around Ryoma’s waist lifting him and stood him on the floor. “I’m sure it is and don’t bent over the window. It’s dangerous.”

“Oh.” Ryoma stood there with his head bent low like a guilty child who was caught red-handed. He blushed again as he remembered the feeling of Tezuka’s arms around his waist, he shook his head to brush off the thought.

“Are you okay?” asked Tezuka, noticing the blush on Ryoma’s face.

Ryoma nodded.

“Let’s go to the kitchen and see how they are doing,” said Tezuka as he placed a hand on Ryoma’s shoulder pushing him softly forward.

Ryoma blushed again and this time he felt a tingling sensation on his shoulder where Tezuka had placed his hand on. He suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked up at Tezuka and asked the one thing that had been troubling him. “Captain, how…do you, well, what do you think of me and my dad living together with you all?”

Ryoma looked down immediately as if there was something interesting on the floor. He was afraid that the answer would be negative.

Tezuka placed his hand on top of Ryoma’s head and said, “Don’t worry, I don’t mind my mother remarrying and I don’t dislike you.”

He then added silently to himself, ‘Just that I don’t like the idea of you being my brother.’

Ryoma looked up. “Really?”

“Really.” Tezuka assured him with a smile. “What about you, what do you think of now.”

“I’m happy.”

~Kitchen~

“Hey, hey, Haruya,” whispered Harumi in a gossipy voice.

“Yeah?” Haruya replied while she dropped the cut and peeled apples into the mixer. “I’m busy, can’t you see.”

“It’s bout Ryoma and Kunimitsu.”

“Okay, I’m free now,” answered Haruya in an equally gossipy voice. “What bout them?”

“I noticed Ryoma staring Kunimitsu with a blush.”

“When?”

“Just now when we are at the supermarket.”

“Say, just now after we paid at the cashier. Kunimitsu took the heavier grocery bags from Ryoma’s hand instead of helping us,” complained Haruya in an excited voice, accompanied by giggles.

“Right! And you made him carry all the bags in your hands!” laughed Harumi.

“Serves him for being unfair.”

“Hey, hey, hey, both of you; are you here to cook or to talk,” chided Haruka softly. “Hearing your conversation, I have a feeling that you are implying something. Please tell me I’m wrong.”

“We aren’t implying anything,” said Harumi, shaking her head.

“Instead, we are STATING.” Haruya added. “Stating that our brother has something for our new brother and vice versa.”

“Should I be praising your imagination or hit you both with the spatula to bring some sense into you,” said Haruka, frowning. “Kunimitsu dated girls.”

“True love cares no gender,” said Haruya. “Maybe we should try something to get them together.”

“Chocolates maybe, those are said to be aphrodisiac,” suggested Harumi.

“Stop, stop, stop. This conversation is getting crazy are you encouraging our brother to assault Ryoma,” cried Haruka, utterly shocked.

“Nope,” said Haruya. “But I really do think they look cute together.”

Harumi nodded, agreeing.

“Oh, god.” Haruka moaned and prayed to whichever god who was listening to protect her brothers from their yaoi-fanatic sisters.


Note: Sorry, real sorry, this chapter didn’t seem to have any yaoi or ‘real actions’. Don’t worry! I promise you something in the next chapter or in the chapter after next. SOON there’ll be, I promise!!